Opinion & Analysis
The Death of the Home Course Advantage
As golf rangefinders and GPS devices become increasingly affordable, should we be questioning the influence they have in our weekly matches? Are their presence and a golfer’s reliance on such aids having a negative effect on the game?
We’ve all been there at some point, standing on the first tee aidless when over wanders your opponent from another club, rangefinder in hand, lasering the flag on the green of the opening par five before smugly turning toward you. He exclaims the yardage listed neatly on the tee sign as if his own ingenious calculation, even adding the half yard for extra effect. There and then, this isn’t your course any more, leaving you standing naked eyed and already behind.
There are several problems with this technological advantage coming to the game, proclaiming to be the savior of your distance troubles and directing the course planner in a Frisbee-like motion toward the bin. But shouldn’t we ask whether this is a major case of pay to win, and whether golf as a sport is paying the price?
Let’s talk advantage. Say you’re a member of a course for several years. Chances are you have an idea of what clubs to hit where. Yet as a person that transitioned from being aidless to owning both a GPS and a laser rangefinder (I won the GPS, don’t worry, I’m not THAT guy), the gap between what you think and what you know is often pretty hefty.
You know that 130-yard par-3 where you religiously hit a 9 iron? Turns out it’s only 121. That dogleg par-4… yeah, the 150-yard marker sign is almost 15 yards out if you hit the middle of the fairway. These gaps are ones that make things a little shaky, a couple of shots advantage a round perhaps. Not ideal, but hey, maybe the other guy just has really good depth perception.
BUT then, he hits a banana slice three holes to the right. Does he deserve his GPS watch to scorch an invisible line through the trees and tell him he has 161 yards to the heart of the green? That’s something that even as a member you would never stand a chance of calculating. Don’t get me wrong, I think the tech is great, but these gadgets can influence the outcome of a match far more than any club technology ever could.
More than 50% of golfers surveyed by Golfweek said they have used a golf distance-measuring device.
At this point you’re probably thinking, but I invested in my game, isn’t that the same as taking lessons? In one sense, yes, but the rules on coaching are that you can’t have it during a match. So where do we draw the line? The implications these gadgets have are not limited to an imbalance in making calculations on the course, though. Many can relate to the religious laser man, adding a minute to his pre-shot routine while he unclips the tool, hopelessly tries to laser the pin before returning his savior to its case. I’m all for being precise, but zapping every single shot into a green slows the pace of a group at a time where the focus of golf as a sport is increasing the speed of play.
At the end of the day, we have to make the game more appealing to new players and kids. Not only is pace an issue, but myself and most others I know have all but lost the ability to visually judge and calculate distances since purchasing a rangefinder. Should we support the process of numbing ourselves to the satisfaction of calculating the distance and getting it spot on? This was one of my most rewarding feelings as a junior golfer, and now you see fleets of 10-year-olds just pulling up the numbers from a tool in the same manner that they take an iPad with them to family meals, proceeding to sit silently the entire time.
Furthermore, shouldn’t we be preaching the ability to judge and learn distances to new players, rather than stating that the way forward is with a gadget probably more expensive than a beginner’s full set of clubs? Everyone knows golf is becoming increasingly costly to take seriously. Are we scaring off new players by throwing around gadgets like this? Imagine being new and aidless to the game, wanting to learn how to gauge distances and being told the BEST way to do so is with this pricey bit of kit.
Wouldn’t you feel hopeless?
I can’t find the words to express how big a help these tools can have for our games. But are they really fair? Do they have a place in competitive amateur golf or should we be doing more to preach the natural process of figuring out distances as ambassadors of this great game?
Opinion & Analysis
Brandel Chamblee PGA Championship Q&A: Rose’s huge McLaren risk, distracted LIV pros and why Aronimink suits the bombers
PGA Championship week is here, and Brandel Chamblee did not hold back in our latest discussion ahead of the season’s second major.
In our 2026 PGA Championship Q&A, golf’s leading analyst made the case that PIF pulling LIV’s funding has left its players competing in a state of confusion, called Justin Rose’s mid-season equipment switch a huge risk at 45, and explained why Aronimink will be a bombers’ delight this week.
Check out the full Q&A below.
Gianni: With the PIF confirming that they’re pulling funding from LIV at the end of the season, what impact do you expect that to have on the LIV players competing at the PGA Championship?
Brandel: I would imagine that they have all been thrown into a state of confusion, and will be distracted, not knowing where they are going to play next year and not knowing exactly their road back to either the DP World Tour or the PGA Tour. Or in Rahm’s case, being tied to a sinking ship for the next few years, likely playing for pennies on the dollar in events that no one cares about or watches.
I doubt this would put him in the best frame of mind to compete at his highest level. Keeping in mind, however, that majors are the only time that LIV disciples get to play in events that matter, so never disregard the motivation they have to prove to the world they are still relevant.
Gianni: Justin Rose switched to McLaren Golf equipment mid-season while playing some of the best golf of his career. What do you make of the change?
Brandel: I don’t really know what to make of Rose switching equipment. It seems a huge risk on his part, even though it is likely, in my opinion, that the clubs he’s playing are similar, if not the exact grinds, to what he was playing previously, with a McLaren stamp on them.
Having said that, at best, it is a distraction when he seemed to be as dialed in with his game as any 45-year-old could be and trending in the majors to perhaps do something that would definitely put him in the Hall of Fame. At worst, given the possibility that these clubs aren’t just duplicates of his old set stamped with McLaren on them, he’s made an equipment change that would take time, and 45-year-old athletes don’t have the time to do such things.
Gianni: Aronimink has only hosted a handful of professional events since it hosted the 1962 PGA Championship. What kind of test does it present, and does a course with less recent major championship history tend to level the playing field?
Brandel: Even though Aronimink has only hosted a handful of meaningful professional events, it has been fairly discerning in who can win there. When Keegan Bradley won the BMW Championship on the Donald Ross masterpiece in 2018, he was the 2nd best iron player on tour coming into that week. When Nick Watney won the AT&T at Aronimink in 2011, he was 2nd in strokes gained total coming into the week.
In 2020, Aronimink hosted the KPMG Championship, and Sei Young Kim won. On the LPGA that year, she was first in greens in regulation, putts per green in regulation, and scoring average on the way to being the LPGA player of the year. And then there is the 1962 PGA Championship won by Gary Player, who eventually became just one of a few players to win the career grand slam on the way to winning 9 majors. It is a formidable test, and if it’s not softened by rain, it will bring out the best in the upper echelons of the game.
Gianni: Is there a specific hole at Aronimink that you think will do the most to decide the winner?
Brandel: The hardest hole at Aronimink in each of the three tour events that have been played there since 2010 has been the long par-3 8th hole, with the par-4 10th being the second hardest, so most of the carnage will happen around the turn, but with the par-5 16th offering opportunities for bold plays and the tough closing holes at 17 and 18, the finish is likely to be frenetic.
Gianni: The PGA Championship has always sat in the shadow of the other majors. What does the ideal PGA Championship look like in your eyes, and what would it take for it to carve out its own identity?
Brandel: The PGA Championship, to whatever degree it suffers from the comparison to the other three majors, is still counted just as much when adding them up at the end of one’s career. Almost 1/3 of Nicklaus’ major wins were the five PGA Championships he won. Walter Hagen won 11 majors, five of which were PGA Championships.
Tiger Woods twice in his career won back-to-back PGA Championships, and those four majors count just as much as the other 11 he won. The PGA may not have the prestige of the other three, but it carries the same weight. Having said that, I preferred the identity that it had as the last major of the year.
Gianni: You nailed your Masters picks. Rory won, Scottie finished solo second, and Morikawa surged to a tie for seventh. Who are your top 3 picks for the PGA Championship and why?
Brandel: I am not a huge fan of majors played on golf courses that have been shorn of most of the trees, although I understand some of the agronomic reasons for doing so and of course the ease with which it allows members to play after errant drives. However, at the highest level, it all but eliminates any strategy off the tee and turns professional golf into an even bigger slugfest. That means that it will likely be a bomber’s delight this week, but fortunately, Scottie Scheffler is long enough to play that game and straight enough to play it better than anyone else.
The major championships give us very few surprises anymore, going back to the beginning of 2012, so the last 57 majors played, the average world rank of the winners has been better than 15th in the world. So look at the highest ranked and longest drivers who are on form coming into the PGA Championship who also have great short games as the surrounds at Aronimink are very challenging. That’s Scottie Scheffler by a mile and then McIlroy and Cameron Young with a far bigger nod towards DeChambeau than I gave him at the Masters.
In this episode of the Club Junkie Podcast, we dive into one of the most interesting flatstick releases of the year with a full review of the new TaylorMade SYSTM 2 putters. After spending time on the greens, I break down what makes this design stand out, where it performs, and why it has me completely torn between loving it and fighting it. If you are into feel, alignment, and consistency, this is one you will want to hear about.
We also take a look at some of the putters in play on the PGA Tour last week. From familiar favorites to a few surprising setups, there is always something to learn from what the best players in the world are rolling with under pressure.
To wrap things up, I walk through the process of building a set of JP Golf Prime irons paired with Baddazz Gold Series shafts. From component selection to performance goals, this is a deep dive into what goes into creating a unique custom set and why this combo has been so intriguing.
This year my 50th birthday. Gosh, where has the time gone?
As a teenager in rural Missouri, some of my junior high and high school years felt interminable. Graduation seemed light years away. But the older I get, the faster life seems to fly by.
I’m also increasingly aware of my mortality. My dad died recently. Earlier this year, a friend and fellow PGA of America professional and I were texting about our next catch-up. The next message I received was news of his unexpected passing at 48. Shortly after, a woman I dated in college succumbed to cancer at 51.
Certainly, one can share perspective at any age. Seniors help freshmen, veterans guide rookies. But reaching this milestone feels like as good a time as any to do one of those “what would I tell my younger self?” articles.
I’ve had a uniquely varied career in golf. I started as a 27-year-old, average-length-hitting, 14-handicap computer engineer and somehow managed to turn pro before running out of money, constantly bootstrapping my way forward. I’ve won qualifiers and set venue records in the World Long Drive Championships, finished fifth at the Speedgolf World Championships, coached all skill levels as a PGA of America professional, built industry-leading swing speed training programs for Swing Man Golf, helped advance the single-length iron market with Sterling Irons®, caddied on the PGA TOUR and PGA TOUR Champions, and played about 300 courses across 32 countries.
It’s been a ride, and I’ve gone both deep and wide.
So while I can consult and advise from a lot of angles, let me keep it to a few things I’d tell the average golfer who wants to improve.
1. Think About What You Want
Everyone has their own reason for picking up a golf club.
Oddly, as a professional athlete, I’m not internally driven by competition. That can be challenging, as the industry currently prioritizes and incentivizes competition over the love of the game.
For me, I love walking and being outdoors. Nature helps balance my energy. I prefer courses that are integrated into the natural beauty of their surroundings. I’m comfortable practicing alone. I’m a deep thinker, and I genuinely enjoy investigating the game, using data and intuition to unearth unique, often innovative insights. I’m fortunate to be strong and athletic, so I appreciate the chance to engage with my abilities. Traveling feels adventurous. I could go on.
You don’t have to overthink it like I do. For you, it might be as simple as hitting balls to escape work, hanging out with friends, and playing loosely with the rules and the score.
The point is to give yourself permission to play for your own reasons, and let that be enough.
But if improvement is your goal, thinking about your destination—and when you want to get there—is important, because it dictates the steps you need to take. When I set out to go from a 14-handicap to the PGA TOUR as quickly as possible, the steps I needed were very different from those of a working golfer trying to break 90 in six months. That’s also different from someone who just wants a few peaceful hours outside each week, away from work or family.
None of these goals are better than the others, but each requires a different plan that you can work backward from.
2. There Are Lots of Things That Can Work
One of the challenges of golf is that, although there are rules for playing, there aren’t clear, industry-wide standards for how to best play the game. There’s a lot of gray area.
You might hear a top coach or trainer insist that a certain move is the best way to swing or train. Then you dig a bit deeper and, much to your confusion and frustration, another respected coach or trainer says something completely different. I don’t think anyone is trying to confuse you—at least I hope not. It’s just where the industry is right now.
You have to be careful with advice from tournament pros, too. They might be great at scoring, but they’re also human and sometimes just as susceptible as amateurs to believing things that don’t really move the needle. Tour players might describe what they feel, but that’s not always what they’re actually doing when assessed with technology.
I recently ran a test on my YouTube channel (which connects to my GolfWRX article “How to use your hands in the golf swing for power and accuracy”), and, interestingly, two of the most commonly taught hand actions produced the worst results in the test.
Coaches can certainly help. If you find someone you connect with to help navigate, that’s great. But there are many ways to get the ball in the hole. In the current landscape, you may need to seek multiple opinions, think critically, and use your own intuition to discern what seems true and whose advice resonates with you.
I’d recommend seeking someone who is open-minded and always learning, because things constantly change. Absolutes like “correct” or “proper” should raise a red flag. AI can be useful, but it tends to confidently repeat popular advice, so proceed with caution.
3. Get Custom Fit
If you’re serious about becoming a better player, getting custom fit is hugely important. There’s no sense fighting your equipment if you don’t have to. Most better players get fit these days and, if they don’t, they’re usually skilled enough to work around clubs that aren’t ideal.
If you plan to play for a long time, it’s worth spending a little more upfront to get something that truly fits you and your game, rather than continually buying and discarding equipment.
Equipment rules haven’t really changed significantly since the early 2000s. To stay in business, manufacturers keep pushing those limits. If you pull a bunch of clubs and balls off the rack and test them, you’ll find differences. I’ve tested two new drivers and seen a 30-yard total distance gap. Usually, the issue isn’t bad equipment; it’s that the combination of components simply isn’t the best fit.
It’s like wearing a new pair of floppy clown shoes. Sure, they’re shoes—but you won’t sprint your best in them compared to track shoes that fit perfectly.
Be wary of what’s called custom fitting, too. Sometimes the term is used as a marketing strategy rather than an actual fitting. In some retail settings, fitters may be incentivized to steer you toward higher-priced components. That doesn’t automatically mean it’s not the best fit, but you should be aware of potential biases.
I learned a version of this lesson outside of golf. Years ago, I bought a tennis racquet at a big box store from a seemingly knowledgeable employee who thought it would suit me best. The racquet gave me tennis elbow, and I spent months recovering with rest and acupuncture. The next season, I invested more time and money to find what actually fit me, and I walked away with something amazing that I still play with years later.
So if you’re going to get fit, be smart about it.
Find someone you believe has deep knowledge—possibly with certifications, but not necessarily. Make sure there’s a wide inventory across many brands. Check recent reviews for the individual fitter if possible. Make sure you trust that the fitter has your best interests at heart. If they’re wearing a hat or shirt with a specific brand’s logo, proceed with caution. Unless you specifically want a certain brand or look, be wary of upsells, especially if two options perform nearly the same.
Also, while golf is called a sport of integrity, there’s a thread of manipulation in the industry. I once drafted an equipment article for an industry magazine, structured just like one of their previous popular stories, with matching word count and great photos. The assistant editor loved it; it was useful to readers and required little work on his part. But the editor-in-chief nixed the story. When I asked why, I was told it was because I wasn’t an advertiser. It turned out the article I’d modeled mine after was a paid ad cleverly disguised as editorial content.
I really dislike games, clickbait, and fear-based manipulation. I hope this changes, but golfers deserve to know it exists.
4. Distance and Strategy Matter
There’s a real relationship between how far you hit the ball and your scoring average, even at the PGA TOUR level.
I experienced this early in my pro career. I started as a power hitter, swinging in the high 120s and breaking 200 mph ball speed with a stock driver.
Back then, some instructors advised swinging at 80%, so I tried slowing down for more accuracy. That worked fine on shorter, tighter courses. But on longer setups, I was coming into greens with too much club, and par 5s stopped being
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KK
Jan 13, 2017 at 11:12 pm
Phones have free GPS apps now. If you’re too lazy or dumb to download a free app, that’s on you.
Marc Smith
Dec 22, 2016 at 5:42 pm
Firstly, probably a poor choice of title for an article related to DMD’s.
Regardless of whether you have a range finder, GPS, stroke saver or even accurate yardage markers, you’re still not going to “know” the perfect line off the tee, or the subtle breaks in greens unless you’ve played the course several times before – so home advantage is still key. Just because you can see something from a great distance on a course, does not mean you know what’s there or hiding!
So to the actual point, are DMD’s fair if all golfers don’t have them?
You make valid points about being able to afford said items, but why is that any different to being able to afford custom fitting, the newest/best equipment to suit your swing/game or coaching?
Non of the pro’s use a “visual” guide to yardages, so why should we, and they’re much better than us! I’ve paced yardages, used GPS and now use a range finder and I can guarantee, I’m much quicker using my range finder, even on shorter shots! The amount of times I’ve used strokesavers and stood deliberating about which tree they meant, or exactly where the back of the bunker is, definitely takes longer than zapping the flag.
Slow play is not caused by using DMD’s, just look at the pro’s, most PGA rounds are 4.5 hours at best and they’re not using them – I’d actually like to see them used to help speed up play! Most slow golfers I know are not slow due to using too many devices, it’s because they wait until it’s their turn then decide to start their routine!
Golf is hard, even for the lower handicap amateur golfers! So just like cavity backs, large sweets spots, drivers with offset and counter balanced putters, why shouldn’t we be able to see exactly how far we’ve got to a flag? Because, no matter how good the yardage/equipment, it all comes down to how you execute the shot – and we all know there’s no guarantees there
Brad
Dec 22, 2016 at 8:27 am
We use tech to save time. That is the point of technology. Tour players have there caddies running from the next fairway over to get yardages to the green, if amateurs did that people would be hitting into them.
creeder
Dec 22, 2016 at 7:34 am
i am all for tech. Now, for most players and i mean 90% percent. knowing that the shot is 67 yard verses 52 yards. is not going to make much difference.
TR1PTIK
Dec 21, 2016 at 9:16 pm
I don’t think you’re going to find too many sympathizers on here. BTW, your example of a coach does not apply in a weekend foursome or a dozen+ other scenarios. Also, don’t pros have caddies that walk off yardages for them – and hasn’t that pretty much always been the case? Your argument about slowing pace of play is flawed as well because if players are constantly air-mailing greens or dunking shots in the pond, then they probably aren’t going to be keeping pace with the group in front.
DJ
Dec 21, 2016 at 7:13 pm
so you’re voting for slow play. unfortunately i can’t pay a caddie nothing when i’m playing for fun. if we do play for money – $5 or $10 – should i give the caddie 5% or 10% ? that’s a hole ‘nother discussion (spelled “hole” like that on purpose). if everyone is using one or has the option to use one, then let the purist be coming up short on those approaches.
btw…use them on the tours.
Matt
Dec 21, 2016 at 3:51 pm
In my experience on my home course elevation changes, wind direction and green surface play more of a role than just distance alone.
SV
Dec 21, 2016 at 3:37 pm
In general the technology probably speeds up play if you don’t know the course. On your home course I don’t know what effect it would have. Personally I prefer GPS because I have the yardage instantly. Getting the laser focused in takes longer with my shaky hands.
BIG STU
Dec 21, 2016 at 3:31 pm
Farmer is dead on it. I can take you to my home course that I have played for 14 years now. You can have as many range finders and GPS units you want but there are some things that only come with local knowledge. There are places on those greens because of the undelation that I would rather be 20 foot from the pin in the right place than 10 feet in the wrong place. Also with the ocean only 1.5 miles away there are certain wind patterns on certain holes that without local knowledge will jump up and bite you. Also on that course any GPS unit will be about 10% off. Us local members learned that back in the infancy days of GPS when we had them on the carts. And it still holds true today with a hand held GPS or a watch type ones. We have done proved it too many times. Laser finders seem to work well
Andrew
Dec 21, 2016 at 3:02 pm
When will the PGA allow range finders? The amount of time pro’s waste measuring yardage is a joke. The technology is there, use it. I watch the PGA for the shot making not for the player’s ability or caddy for that matter, to measure the distance to the pin. Please no more 6 hour rounds in PGA tournaments.
Joey5Picks
Dec 22, 2016 at 3:19 pm
They aren’t “wasting” time getting a yardage. They’re deciding club, where to land it, whether it should sit or run out. Those wouldn’t be affected by using a rangefinder. Rarely do tour pros need only the yardage to the hole. They get the yardage to a spot on the green, the front, how much to carry a bunker, how far to a ridge on the green. Only a yardage book tells you those.
James
Dec 21, 2016 at 2:17 pm
How many kids have you told to get off your lawn recently?
Kevin
Dec 21, 2016 at 2:03 pm
Yes, people can get a little crazy with using their rangefinder. But, due to the rangefinder and GPS era, a reasonable number of courses have stopped maintaining their yardage markers or have simply done away with them. Would it be fair to ask all these courses to pay up to put in a yardage marking system, which although it is not hugely expensive, it is an unnecessary cost on an already very tight budget.
Most groups I play in we rely on one person with one range finder although most of us have one ourselves. They give us a distance from their ball or a common area between everyone and we figure it out from there.
You are saying that the technology for a new player may be counter productive to their development, do you also take the same stance on game improvement irons? Should we start every junior golfer off with a set of Wilson blades so they can get a true understanding of where the game has come from?
I understand your argument, but I believe that it is a flawed argument from the start as you are only looking at one very small aspect of the entire game of golf. You say that someone is paying for performance. Welcome to the game of golf! Lessons cost money, practice costs money, everything cost money. And, although you can remain competitive with equipment you can buy off the used rack from 3 years ago, look at how many people have ordered PXG 2-3 times the cost because they think it gives them the smallest of advantages on the course.
I think the rangefinder is a huge plus for the game of golf. I think you learn more about your game and can grow more if you use one. With courses becoming more and more difficult, more and more deceiving with false fronts and bunkers hiding the front of the green, the rangefinder has almost become an essential part of any golfers equipment who is trying to improve their game.
Jack
Dec 22, 2016 at 9:39 am
I agree I don’t miss having to find a mud covered sprinkler cover only to find that that one isn’t marked. Nothing slows play down like when I bring the wrong set of 3 clubs that I thought was within the range but really none of them were playable.
Justwellsy
Dec 21, 2016 at 1:33 pm
I would argue that using a laser rangefinder speeds up pace of play, not the other way around. I don’t even think you can argue otherwise. If you’re not using a laser rangefinder, that’s your own fault. I found a used one online for $75 that works perfectly fine when I compared with with my buddy’s brand new $400 model. College kids are allowed to use rangefinders during tournaments and a lot of other amateur tournaments are now allowing them as well. I think it’s great for the game.
GPS is a different story. It’s not nearly as accurate as laser and you never know when the reading has recalculated (at least on the models I’ve used). They’ve been off by as many as 7 yards when I compare to my laser. If you hit the ball 3 fairways over, yes I agree you should suffer the consequences and not have a GPS to guide you. HOWEVER, if you’re a serious golfer, taking the time to gauge any sort of distance to the green from there is going to take some time and inevitably slow down play. So I guess I’m torn when it comes to that.
I’m all for speeding up the game in any way possible and laser is a fantastic way to do this. I also happen to agree with a previous comment that stated home course advantage is more about knowing the breaks in the greens and how the fairways roll out, etc. Anyone can figure out raw distance if you take long enough, which is the biggest problem in golf that we are trying to fix. Don’t get me wrong, I wish courses were 25 holes and a par of 100. I want to be out there playing as many holes as possible because I love it, but that’s not for everyone. Some people like playing 9 holes and will only play 18 if they can get it done in a timely manner. Top Golf is so successful partly because you can choose how long you want to be there. With golf, half of the enjoyment for me is coming out with a score at the end of the round. Sometimes that takes 4 hours and sometimes it takes closer to 6.
farmer
Dec 21, 2016 at 12:11 pm
The biggest advantage for playing a home course is knowing the greens, where to miss and the proper lines. Not the raw distance to the target.
McPickens
Dec 21, 2016 at 2:30 pm
exactly
Chris
Dec 21, 2016 at 11:35 am
Nice start, but it kinda came off as a bit preachy, and not just because you used the word ‘preach’ a few times. Better to hint at the potential problems with tech than to declare it.
Having used Golfshot since early 2010, I wouldn’t think of dropping the extra benefits I get from the tech. I believe it has allowed me to play faster, not slower. I can pinpoint within seconds twenty different distances, instead of wasting time running around looking for a sprinkler head that may or may not be marked, only to then walk off the yardage to my ball, and then begin the process of trying to calculate in my head the likely yardage to various trees and hazards protecting the green, the front, back and pin location.
That and I now have a complete record of the hundreds of rounds I’ve played, with scores, notes, foursomes, photos, stats, etc.
Peace
Double Mocha Man
Dec 21, 2016 at 6:05 pm
Your last sentence gave you away. How much do you delay your group inputting all that info? I have a friend with the same app and there’s no camaraderie, no banter, no chit chat between holes… his face is buried in his Golfshot app. And worse, I don’t think he uses any of the stats ’cause he keeps getting worse. That’s my nickel’s worth.
Scott
Jan 5, 2017 at 3:47 pm
Double, I think that I play with the same guy. Mr. Tech Stat guy. I love it when he starts telling me how he has play the hole the last so many times, but can do noting with the info.
Bijan Matin
Dec 21, 2016 at 11:27 am
Hi bubba, thanks for the feedback. However don’t you think having a solid short game isn’t a part of home course advantage, but purely the mark of a good golfer? In terms of knowing where to miss, I have to agree with you there, valid point. Iron distance is fairly consistent I agree, but Dave Peltz also placed a lot of emphasis on the fact that from say 130 in distance becomes far more inconsistent and therefore more important than missing left or right. Obviously I know this is split between the golfer having the shot and knowing the distance, do you think this has any weighting in the discussion? Thanks for the feedback, I didn’t think many would agree with my perspective!
Double Mocha Man
Dec 21, 2016 at 6:13 pm
Good point on skewed home course handicaps. Maybe the USGA just needs to start adding 2 strokes to every home round we play???
On the other hand, if i want to play a “money” round with a guy I try to get him onto a neutral course.
Charlie
Dec 21, 2016 at 10:39 am
Is this article about pace of play, or home course advantage?
I know at my home course where I can miss two fairways over and still have a shot into the green. I also know what hills have been mowed closely so the ball will bounce back into the fairway or on the green. So no, home course advantage is not dead.
Oh, and laser rangefinders absolutely speed up pace of play.
Bijan Matin
Dec 21, 2016 at 11:16 am
Hi Charlie, it’s a bit of both. This is my first article so I’m still finding my feet, working on it!
I appreciate that in your case you know where you can miss and still hit into greens, but does your opponent who may have never played at your course deserve that advantage from a bad tee shot purely because they paid for a gps watch? In my experience in some cases range finders may speed up play. However, from playing far too many four hour plus rounds as a three ball, havent you ever experienced someone who uses one excessively? I find especially in matches people will laser pins from 30 yards to 260+, which has certainly added a significant amount of time to rounds.
Just a bit of background for my perspective, thanks again for the feedback.
Ron
Dec 21, 2016 at 11:43 am
Of course he deserves to the advantage! As golfers we all strike the play the best possible golf we can; doing that includes using all the legal equipment available to help achieve that. It should not matter if you use this equipment at your own course or elsewhere. I can’t in good conscience hold it against someone for using a legal tool.
Ron
Dec 21, 2016 at 4:32 pm
Another thing… Knowing the distances are a small thing when talking about home course advantage. The real advantage resides in knowing bounces and what greens will do.
aaron
Dec 21, 2016 at 3:43 pm
I think that is a really silly argument…..by your logic you’re saying the most difficult thing and the biggest advantage in golf is knowing the distances……again that is silly, if your opponent hit his tee shot in the trees off the fairway he doesn’t have an “easy” shot by knowing the distance, he still has the trees, lie, other impediments to deal with and then execute a shot out of those areas…..and any good course would have a yardage book identifying each hole and the hazards it has….Like others have said home course advantage has always been on and around the greens, how a fairway slopes and which clubs to take off the tee for the best and most likely approach (those things would never be replaced by a device) and as far as pace of play goes- it isn’t the pinging of yardage that slows up play…it is the not knowing what distances you hit clubs, the indecisiveness of what shot you think you can hit, the 47 practice swings, and the list goes on and on but not one of them is the 2-3 seconds it takes to acquire the yardage
Congrats on the first article and look forward to more articles and more discussions
Bryan
Dec 21, 2016 at 10:37 am
My rangefinder has undoubtedly sped up my pace of play. I use the scorecard or yardage book on most tee-shots to try to hit a shot to a certain yardage and area on the fairway for the approach shot, and then use my rangefinder on shots to the green. It takes me literally less than 10 seconds to stand over my ball and get the distance. This is much less time than walking around to find a marker, pacing it off or eyeballing it, and then questioning the accuracy of the marker to begin with. I do agree that it can be an unfair advantage if someone does not have it. But I know in my league if one team has it, the other team can ask for the GPS, or rangefinder distance at any time during the round.
Then there is also the effect that I am confident in the club/shot selection and don’t think about the yardage and selection as much as if I were using the poorly, or non-labeled markers on the courses around here.
Bijan Matin
Dec 21, 2016 at 11:55 am
Thanks for the feedback Bryan, I appreciate that for you it is a quick process. Maybe in this case I have just been cursed by having to deal with painstakingly slow rangefinder-ers, in my experience many who have a rangefinder go into ‘pro’ mode and usually follow up a 45 second lasering of the flag, all geeenside bunkers, with around ten practice swings and so many waggles that I can’t tell if my dogs tail has made it into the guys hands!
In competition, sad to say I have been on a side that does this- players would often stay away from their partners, you might get a yardsage on a par 3 by over hearing, bar that we wouldn’t give nor would they give anything. At university we would plan our pairings based on each paring having a range finder in the group.
Again, good points there, by the sounds of things your routine is far more efficient as are others in the comment section than what I have experienced!
Bryan
Dec 27, 2016 at 1:20 pm
Thanks for the reply. I think its shady if you’re playing someone with one and they don’t offer it up for use. Not the type of guys I would want to golf with for sure. I also do know the guys with looooonnnnnnggg pre-shot routines. Unfortunately finding the yardage might be the fastest part of it.
For the most part I have eliminated taking full practice swing from my routine. After watching the Pros live I could see they don’t really do that much. More of a stay loose little half swing. On feel shots around the green I still do, but that is more or less to get a feel for lie more than anything else. It has actually worked for me too… far fewer wasted good swings on a practice swing.
DeeJayMN
Dec 21, 2016 at 10:26 am
Wow, this article is awful, and based on the 15 shanks so far, i’m not alone. To each their own, if someone wants to use these aids, who cares, golf is hard enough. In my experience it speeds up play, allows golfers to learn their true club yardages, and helps correct the incorrect markers that are on the course that are usually outdated due to changes to the course. You obviously don’t have a good pulse on todays golfer and maybe your next article should be focused on why your missing the big picture.
Bijan Matin
Dec 21, 2016 at 11:07 am
As this is my first article, I appreciate the feedback and will do my best to learn from it moving forwards. And in terms of pace of play, I work for a business on the verge of releasing an app for golf clubs. In this we have been considering which features to carry forwards, from contacting a variety of golf courses I have found that they do in fact feel these aids are slowing pace of play. Obviously your circle and others here have different perspectives but from my experience here in the U.K. . Dealing with clubs, they feel that when range finders in particular come into play people use them excessively and this does slow the pace of play down in enough cases for them to become concerned. Please note that I’m not arguing here, this is just where my thoughts were founded.
– again, any constructive feedback or perspective welcome.
DeeJayMN
Dec 21, 2016 at 12:03 pm
Fair enough and I appreciate the response but what bothered me most about your article was the claim that your not THAT guy when it comes to using distance aids, and minimizing your own ownership of these aids to the fact that you won your GPS. I think whats lost in your article a little bit is that golf is meant to be fun, and beating people at your home course should be a side effect of this fun not your modus operandi for dictating how others choose to play. I’ll admit some defensiveness to the article due to the fact that I use and love my rangefinder and would be remiss not to admit that.
cb
Dec 21, 2016 at 9:58 am
on the flip side rangefinders can just as easily speed up the place of play. hitting over a water hazard for example, if you dont have the correct yardage there is the chance you can hit the correct shot but come up short then you have to hit again. obviously even when people have the correct yardage we still hit it in the water. also you want people to go out and play different courses and grow the game but nothing is worse then going to a course and not being able to fully enjoy it because you have no idea about the yardages. personally, unless im being paid to play golf, if i pay $50 for a round of golf then im taking my rangefinder so i dont spend my time looking for sprinkler heads or guessing yardages
PineStreetGolf
Dec 21, 2016 at 9:51 am
This has to be the stupidest article ever published on this typically solid website.
Buck
Dec 21, 2016 at 12:16 pm
It is better than any of the advertisements masquerading as articles, like the Adidas Boa trash.